Turbine Wall Apparatus/System and Method for Generating Electrical Power

ABSTRACT

Techniques are disclosed where a plurality of bladed shafts are arranged in an adjacent relationship to one another within a frame. The blades of the shafts are capable of interacting with moving air and causing rotation of the shafts. Rotational energy of the shafts is converted to electrical energy by electrical equipment stored within a portion of the frame. The electrical energy is conditioned and output as usable electrical power.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.63/277,827, filed Nov. 10, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporatedby reference herein.

INTRODUCTION

Energy consumption is and will continue to be an important aspect ofhuman society. While alternative energy systems such as solar- andwind-energy have gained viability and adoption, there remains a need forsystems with increased efficiency and flexibility. For example,conventional solar energy systems require large amounts of installationspace and must be oriented to face a certain direction relative to thesun in order to reap the most benefits. And wind energy systems oftenrequire tall towers which generate noise and can be unsightly.

SUMMARY

In an effort to improve upon these shortcomings in the art, theinventors disclose a wind turbine wall apparatus, system and method forgenerating electrical power, the wind turbine wall comprising aplurality of shafts, each shaft comprising a plurality of blades. Theblades catch moving air (e.g., wind), causing rotation of the shaft, andthe translated rotational movement of the shafts drives electricalequipment to produce electrical energy. The generated electrical energycan then be collected/distributed in the desired manner. The combinationof the shaft, blades and electrical equipment may be referred to as aturbine. The various turbines and associated electrical components areencompassed by and/or enclosed within a frame, such that the overallwind turbine wall comprises an installable unit that is capable ofgenerating electrical power with improved efficiency and appearance overconventional alternative energy systems, and is capable of beingutilized in a variety of installation settings.

In one example embodiment, the inventors disclose a moving air turbineapparatus that comprises a frame, a plurality of shafts arranged andconfigured to be received in the frame where each shaft comprises a setof blades configured to rotate about a respective shaft axis. Theplurality of blades comprises the combination of each set of blades ofeach shaft. The plurality of blades is arranged and configured tointeract with moving air to cause rotational movement of a respectiveshaft of the plurality of shafts about the respective shaft axis.Electrical equipment is operatively coupled to at least one shaft of theplurality of shafts. The electrical equipment is arranged and configuredto translate rotational movement of a respective shaft about the shaftaxis for conversion to electrical energy, and circuitry is arranged andconfigured to convert the electrical energy generated by the electricalequipment to output electrical power.

In another embodiment, a moving air turbine apparatus comprises a frame,a plurality of shafts arranged and configured to be received in theframe, where each shaft comprises a set of blades that is configured torotate about a respective shaft axis. A plurality of blades comprisesthe combination of each set of blades of each shaft. The plurality ofblades is arranged and configured to interact with moving air to causerotational movement of a respective shaft of the plurality of shafts. Aplurality of generators is provided. Each generator is operativelycoupled to a respective shaft of the plurality of shafts so as to bearranged as a shaft/generator pair. Each shaft/generator pair isconfigured such that the generator converts rotational movement of theshaft about the shaft axis to electrical energy, and circuitry isconfigured to convert the electrical energy generated by the generatorto output electrical power.

In another embodiment, a turbine system comprises a frame comprising anupper portion, a lower portion, and side portions between the upper andlower portions. The lower portion is configured to be parallel to asurface to which the turbine system is capable of being installed. Aplurality of turbines is arranged and configured to be received in theframe such that the turbines are capable of rotation within the frame.Each turbine comprises a shaft including a plurality of blades andconfigured to rotate about a respective shaft axis. Each shaft axis isperpendicular to the lower portion of the frame, wherein the framecomprises electrical equipment arranged within the lower portion of theframe and configured to be operatively coupled to the turbines such thatthe electrical equipment converts rotational energy of the turbines toelectrical energy for output as electrical power.

In another embodiment, a turbine system comprises a frame comprising anupper portion, a lower portion, and side portions between the upper andlower portions. The lower portion is configured to be parallel to asurface to which the turbine system is capable of being installed, and aplurality of turbines is arranged and configured to be received in theframe such that the turbines are capable of rotation within the frame.Each turbine comprises (i) a shaft including a plurality of blades andbeing configured to rotate about a respective shaft axis. Each shaftaxis is perpendicular to the lower portion of the frame, and (ii) agenerator is operatively coupled to the shaft, wherein the generatorsare arranged and configured to convert rotational energy of therespective turbine to electrical energy for output as electrical power.

Another embodiment comprises a method for generating electrical powercomprising installing an array of wind turbines in a frame, where thewind turbines are positioned in a side-by-side manner within the framesuch that any one wind turbine of the array is configured in acooperative airflow relationship with any immediately adjacent windturbine of the array. In one aspect of the method, rotational energy ofany one wind turbine is converted to electrical energy. In anotheraspect of the method, the electrical energy in conditioned to electricalpower. In another aspect of the method, the electrical power isdistributed to power receiving equipment.

In the above embodiments, the blades may be S-shaped, helix-shaped,Savonius-type blades, or Darrieus-type blades, for example. The bladesmay be coupled to the shaft, or integrally formed with the shaft, forexample. The circuitry may include rectification circuitry and/orconditioning circuitry configured to reduce variances in the electricalenergy, for example. The shafts may comprise a bearing assembly atopposite ends of the shaft, wherein the bearing assemblies arepositioned within opposing portions of the frame, for example. The shaftaxes may be perpendicular to a lower portion of the frame, for example.The electrical power may be DC or AC, for example. The electricalequipment may comprise a DC or AC generator, which generates DC or ACelectrical energy accordingly, or example.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon review of theteachings in the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a front view of one embodiment of a wind turbine wallwith a conventional break line and a column of blades removed to showthat the wall may be any length and width.

FIG. 2 illustrates the same view as the embodiment in FIG. 1 but with atransparent frame.

FIG. 3A depicts a side view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 .

FIG. 3B depicts a different side view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4A depicts a top view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 .

FIG. 4B depicts a bottom view of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 .

FIG. 5 depicts a bottom-centric perspective view of the embodiment ofFIGS. 1 and 2 .

FIG. 6A depicts a turbine assembly of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 .

FIG. 6B depicts the turbine assembly of FIG. 6A without blades and withan exploded rotation assembly.

FIG. 6C depicts a top view of the turbine assembly of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6D depicts a bottom view of the turbine assembly of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6E depicts a perspective view of the turbine assembly of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6F depicts a perspective view of a rotation assembly.

FIG. 6G depicts a perspective view of a bearing of the rotation assemblyof FIG. 6F.

FIG. 7 depicts a wind flow and rotation schematic of a blade accordingto one embodiment of the wind turbine wall.

FIG. 8A depicts a schematic showing an AC output from a generatoraccording to one embodiment of the wind turbine wall.

FIG. 8B depicts a schematic showing an AC/DC/AC configuration accordingto one embodiment of the wind turbine wall.

FIG. 9 depicts a real-world installation according to one embodiment ofthe wind turbine wall.

FIG. 10 depicts an alternative blade design according to one embodimentof the wind turbine wall.

FIG. 11 depicts a stacked arrangement according to the embodiment ofFIG. 10 .

FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative blade design according to oneembodiment of the wind turbine wall.

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative blade design according to oneembodiment of the wind turbine wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

A number of example embodiments are described for the wind turbine wall.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a wind turbine wall 100, comprising agenerally rectangular, hollow frame 102. Upper portion 104A and lowerportion 104B of the frame may be longer in length than side portions104C, 104D. The lower portion 104B is configured to be positioned on theground or other support surface (e.g., rooftop) for installation of theframe on the surface where the frame will rest. The portions 104A to104D of the frame 102 may be configured with holes (not shown) and/orother hardware fixtures (e.g., hooks/eyelets, not shown) for use insecuring the frame to its desired location within an installation space.For example, the lower portion 104B may be configured (e.g., with holes)to receive fasteners such as bolts, washers, etc. for securing the frameto the ground or other installation surface. The other portions of theframe may also be used to anchor and/or secure the frame to otherobjects (e.g., to adjacent walls, trees, etc.) in the installationenvironment (e.g., via eyelets/hooks and the like that receive the endof a cable for securing the frame to other objects within theinstallation environment of the frame).

Arranged within the frame 102 (e.g., extending vertically between upperand lower portions 104A, 104B) is a plurality of shafts 106, configuredto be able to rotate about an axis in a perpendicular manner relative tothe installation surface, via respective bearings associated withshaft(s) and located within corresponding portions of the frame. Forexample, the shafts 106 may have a bearing assembly at each end (e.g.,an upper bearing assembly and a lower bearing assembly) to enablerotation.

Each individual shaft 106 includes a plurality of blades 108. The blades108 on any one shaft 106 may be arranged in alternating perpendicularfashion relative to one another. Blades 108 on adjacent shafts 106 maybe configured operatively relative to blades 108 on adjacent so as tooptimize airflow properties. The pattern of the shafts and blades may bedescribed in terms of columns and rows, wherein the columns comprise thevertical configuration of blades on any one shaft, and the rows comprisethe horizontal configuration of blades of all shafts. For example, theblades of one shaft may catch the wind and rotate relative to blades ofan adjacent shaft such that gaps between adjacent blades in the same roware minimized. In one embodiment, the blades may be non-movably fixed tothe respective shaft via set screws, welding, mechanical fasteners,overmolding and other like techniques. The blades and shaft mayalternatively be an integral structure, such that the blades need not beseparately fixed to the shaft because they are formed with the shaft ina unitary manner (e.g., via molding).

FIG. 2 illustrates the same view as FIG. 1 but with the frame beingtransparent so as to show various other aspects of the shafts relativeto the frame (subsequent figures include like numbering of like partsrelative to preceding figures, e.g., 100 in FIG. 1 is 200 in FIG. 2 ,and so on and so forth for other figures, where appropriate). As shownin the wind turbine wall 200 of FIG. 2 , the shafts 206 include an upperrotation assembly 210 in upper portion 204A of frame 202 and a lowerrotation assembly 212 in lower portion 204B of frame 202. Sides 204C and204D are configured in the same manner as in FIG. 1 . The upper rotationassembly 210 may comprise a bearings assembly configured to allow forrotation of the shaft 206. The lower rotation assembly 212 may comprisea bearings assembly as well as a generator for converting the mechanical(rotational) energy of the shaft to electrical energy for producingelectrical power. The combination of the shaft, blades, and upper andlower rotation assemblies may be referred to as a turbine. Thus, theframe may comprise a number of turbines, such number being limited bythe size of the blades and the size of the overall frame.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate side views of the wind turbine wall 300. FIG.3A shows wind turbine wall 300 including lower portion 304B, sideportion 304C and blades 308. FIG. 3B shows wind turbine wall 300including upper portion 304A, side portion 304D, and blades 308. Theportions 304A to 304D may comprise four separate sides that are coupledtogether, or two “L”-shaped portions that are coupled together, or otherlike configurations (e.g., one “L”-shaped portion and two other sideportions). For example, portions 104B/204B/304B and 104D/204D/304D maycomprise an “L”-shaped portion whereas portions 104A/204A/304A and104C/204C/304C may comprise individual portions. Fewer individualportions may be used to reduce the need for coupling hardware and/or toreduce visible seams or for other mechanical efficiencies/ratings (e.g.,it may be preferable to use two “L”-shaped portions rather than fourindividual portions to reduce seams and/or arrive at as desired strengthof the frame). The portions 304A to 304D may comprise four separatesides that are coupled together, or two “L”-shaped portions that arecoupled together, or other like configurations (e.g., one “L”-shapedportion and two other side portions). The wall may also be modular toallow fewer or more wall portions to be assembled together to form thewind turbine wall.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate top and bottom views of the wind turbine wall400. FIG. 4A shows wind turbine wall 400 including upper portion 404Aand blades 408. FIG. 4B shows wind turbine wall 400 including lowerportion 404B, blades 408 and lower rotation assemblies 412.

FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom-centric perspective view of wind turbinewall 500. The frame 502 comprises portions 504A, 504B, 504C and 504Daccording to prior embodiments. While lower portion 504B is shown as nothaving a portion covering lower rotation assemblies 512, there may be apanel present that fills that space shown on the bottom side of portion504B so as to protect the assemblies 512, and/or assist with mounting ofthe frame 500 to the intended support surface.

FIGS. 6A to 6G illustrate aspects of vertical axis turbine assembly 650comprising shaft 606, blades 608, upper rotation assembly 610, and lowerrotation assembly 612. FIG. 6B illustrates shaft 606 without blades 608and with lower rotation assembly 612 exploded to show bearing 614 andgenerator 616. FIG. 6C illustrates a top view of assembly 650, and FIG.6D represents a bottom view of assembly 650. FIG. 6E illustrates atop-centric perspective view of the turbine assembly 650. FIG. 6Fillustrates a perspective view of lower rotation assembly 612, includinga depiction of a protrusion 618 of bearing 614 relative to generator616. FIG. 6G illustrates a perspective view of bearing 614 of the lowerrotation assembly 612, including protrusion 618 that is configured toassist in the rotational functions of the lower rotation assembly.

FIG. 7 illustrates example airflow aspects according to one embodimentof the wind turbine wall. A partial top view of frame 702 is depicted indashed lines, and showing upper frame portion 704A. Bearing 710 of aturbine assembly 750, as well as an example blade 708 of the assembly750, are visible beneath portion 704A. Wind flow direction 720 (asrepresented by the bracketed arrows) imparts force on the twosides/halves of the blade 708 to create rotation 722 (see arrow). Theellipsis (. . .) shown on either side of blade 708 in FIG. 7 signifiesan adjacent turbine (e.g., another assembly 750).

FIG. 8A illustrates an embodiment where generator 816 is an AC generatorand outputs a 3-phase (e.g., P₁, P₂, P₃) AC output 824 due to rotation826 of the shaft (not shown) coupled thereto. FIG. 8B illustrates anAC/DC/AC configuration where the output from generator 816 may beconverted via rectification circuitry 828, and then the output from thecircuitry 828 is converted to AC via transformer 830, so that the outputfrom transformer 830 is compatible for direct grid connection to thelocal power grid 832. While not shown, and alternatively, the generator816 may be a DC generator that outputs DC, and the embodiment in FIG. 8Bmay only be an AC/DC configuration such that the output is DC (e.g., noneed for transformer 830). Such DC output may be used, for example, todirectly feed a battery associated with the system. For example, in sucha DC embodiment, the grid 832 would instead be a battery.

FIG. 9 illustrates wind turbine wall 900, where the output of the system900 is connected via a cable raceway 934 that exits frame 902 and isconnected to a power unit 936. The power unit 936 may, for example,comprise a battery unit capable of storing the (e.g., DC) output fromthe wind turbine wall, or a junction box that is connected to the localpower grid if the output from 900 is AC. In either case, cable raceway934 and power unit 936 comprise the necessary electrical and electroniccomponents to achieve desired power conversion and/or distribution. FIG.9 also illustrates the cooperative airflow relationship between adjacentblades 908.

FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of wind turbine wall 1000 where blades1008 are helix-shaped. The other aspects (e.g., frame design, type ofgenerator, etc.) may be the same as the above-discussed embodiment(s).The shaft may be reconfigured as needed to accommodate any differencesbetween fans (e.g., for weight considerations, etc.).

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment where a plurality of wind turbinewalls are stacked together. The stacked configuration 1100 represents,for example, four frames 1102A, 1102B, 1102C and 1102D. Such amulti-frame configuration may require additional modifications to thepower circuitry. Additionally, adjacent frames may have added couplinghardware for additional structural integrity. For example, theelectrical output from each frame may be coupled together, or remain asfour or more separate outputs. While four frames are shown, any numberof frames can make up the combined assembly.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate additional embodiments having different bladeshapes and/or different amounts of turbine assemblies. The wind turbinewall 1200 in FIG. 12 includes blades 1208 comprising an “S”-type design(e.g., similar to that shown in FIG. 7 ), whereas wind turbine wall 1300in FIG. 13 includes blades 1308 of a smaller, squared-off design. Theseare mere examples of different blade shapes that can be used. The bladesmay comprise any shape suitable to realize the desired airflow and windcapture properties (e.g., when considering various aerodynamics aspectsincluding drag, etc.). As discussed, the blades in general comprise somedegree of curvature (e.g., S-shaped, helix-shaped, etc.). For example,in the context of vertical axis wind turbines, the blades may be of thetype used in Savonius or Darrieus wind turbines. Savonius-type bladesare considered to be drag-driven blades, whereas Darrieus-type bladesare considered to be lift-driven. Alternatively, the blades need not becurved or twisted, and may instead be straight blades.

Further regarding the shafts (e.g., 106, 206, 506, 606) and generators(e.g., 616), in one embodiment each shaft includes a generator that maybe coupled in a direct or indirect manner to the shaft, or the shaft maybe coupled to other bearing/linkage assemblies in the lower frameportion of the frame. For example, each shaft may have a portion thatterminates in a respective generator located under each shaft. Eachgenerator will generate a corresponding output based on the amount ofrotation of the shaft (caused by the blades catching the wind) and thespecifications of the generator. The generators used in conjunction withthe shafts may comprise DC or AC generators. The AC generators may besynchronous or asynchronous. The type of generator used may varydepending on any particular installation of the device and the desiredoutput power. For example, in the case of using DC generators, the DCvoltage generated by the wind turbines of the device may be stored in abattery or bank of batteries. In the case of using AC generators, the ACoutput from each respective generator (e.g., three-phase power) may beconverted to a common DC voltage. Because the frequency of the powerwill depend on the rotational velocity of the turbines, the output of anAC generator will generally be variable-frequency AC. In order toincrease the utility of such variable output(s) from the generator(s),there may be conversion via rectification circuitry including diodes andthe like and other microprocessors/controllers and the like, whichrectifies the variable-frequency AC current and voltage into DC power.The DC power may then be transformed into AC that matches the localelectrical grid. In any embodiment where a battery is utilized, thebattery can be used as a power source for the powering of variousdownstream appliances, equipment, etc. For example, the battery can bepart of an assembly that comprises inverter circuitry, such that the DCoutput of the battery is converted to a desirable AC output (e.g., 120V, 60 Hz). In the case where the battery is fully charged (e.g., atcapacity) and the rotating shafts are still generating power, the excesspower may be routed to a diversion assembly, such as a diversion loadthat dissipates the excess power as heat. Or there can be a secondary(power) assembly that is configured for other utilization of the excesspower that is unable to be utilized by the primary power assembly, suchas a secondary assembly which is configured as a direct feed back to thelocal electrical grid. In any case, there may be additional circuitrypresent to protect, condition and/or otherwise manage the voltagegenerated by the generators so to protect downstream elements (e.g.,such as the downstream battery for storing the generated power), and/orto have uniform, clean power throughout the system. Such protectioncircuitry may comprise undercharge or overcharge protection circuitryfor protecting the downstream battery. For example, circuitry componentsthat compare various (e.g., reference) voltages to other (e.g., system)voltages may be used to make determinations relative toovercharge/undercharge aspects.

As discussed, the power conversion may comprise an AC to DC to ACconversion. For example, a diode bridge may be used to perform AC to DCrectification, and a transformer may be used for DC to AC conversion. Inthis way, the overall power output from the wall may be interfaced withthe electrical grid so that a user of the wall can take benefit of anysuch savings with respect to selling power back to the grid, etc.

The wind turbine wall may be used in a variety of locations, includingbut not limited to installations in residential housing (e.g.,stand-alone homes, condominiums, apartments, etc.), commercial/businessdevelopments (e.g., business parks), as road barriers (e.g., installedon an interstate highway), on rooftops, or as part of other moredecorative installations (e.g., fencing, etc.). Due to the verticalturbine arrangement, the wall effectively operates as a vertical axiswind turbine(s), which is more wind-direction independent compared toconventional windmills (aka horizontal axis wind turbine). The turbinewall is therefore well-suited for used in urban settings wheredirectionally-fluctuating wind conditions may be prevalent. Because ofthe shaft/blade configuration, the wall is capable of catching wind in amore versatile manner than conventional wind turbine structures, and assuch can generate power in settings where other wind turbine devicewould be ineffective due to highly variable/turbulent winds. Moreover,the wind turbine wall disclosed herein represents a visually pleasingstructure that emits less noise than conventional windmillinstallations. These features make the wind turbine wall well-suited forresidential and other installations where the wall could serve as focalpoint from a visual design standpoint.

An anemometer (not shown) may be coupled to the frame in order toacquire wind data. The output from the anemometer may be used to analyzewind patterns and determine if gains in power output and/or efficiencycould be realized. Similarly, a wind vane (not shown) may be coupled tothe frame so that wind data from the vane can be analyzed and used inpower output and/or efficiency determinations. Based on the data fromthe anemometer and/or wind vane, a different set of shafts/blades can beinstalled in the frame to replace the original shafts/blades if it isdetermined that the replacement shafts/blades would generate more powerand/or be more efficient than original shafts/blades.

The materials and manufacturing for the wind turbine wall may comprisetechniques such as injection molding, stamping and extrusion, usingmaterials including plastics, metals, etc. For example, in oneembodiment, the blades can be injection molded, whereas the shafts maybe extruded. Also envisioned is the use of weather-resistant and other(e.g., powder-coating) finishes. For example, the frame may comprisepower-coated steel to provide corrosion resistance. Wood (e.g.,pressure/weather treated wood) or other composite materials may also beused for various parts of the wall, for example, in an application wherethe wall is used as part of fencing. In general, the materials and lookof the wall can be tailored so that it is assimilates well into thelocation/environment in which it installed. These are mere examples ofthe materials and manufacturing/processing techniques that can be usedand are not limiting.

Certain figures (e.g., FIGS. 1, 2, 3 a, 3 b 4 a, 4 b, and 5) depict oneof the turbines as missing, but this is only for illustrative purposes,and as many continuous turbines as the frame is configured to containcan be joined with the frame. FIGS. 1, 2, 3 a, 3 b 4 a, 4 b, and 5 showconventional break lines to indicate that the wall may be any length andwidth to accommodate the desired amount of turbines and to be of desiredoverall size dimensions. The term wind as used herein may be generalizedas any form of moving air. The wind turbine wall may be referred to as amoving air turbine apparatus.

In another embodiment, the shaft ends do not terminate in generators,but rather are coupled to corresponding linkages capable of translatingthe rotational motion from the rotating shaft(s) to another (e.g., gear)assembly to utilize the mechanical energy of the gear assembly for other(or similar) purposes (e.g., electrical energy generation).

In the present disclosure, all or part of the units or devices of anysystem and/or apparatus, and/or all or part of functional blocks in anyblock diagrams and flow charts may be executed by one or more electroniccircuitries including a semiconductor device, a semiconductor integratedcircuit (IC) (e.g., such as a processor, CPU, GPU, ASIC etc.), or alarge-scale integration (LSI). The LSI or IC may be integrated into onechip and may be constituted through combination of two or more chips.For example, the functional blocks other than a storage element may beintegrated into one chip. The integrated circuitry that is called LSI orIC in the present disclosure is also called differently depending on thedegree of integrations, and may be called a system LSI, VLSI (verylarge-scale integration), or VLSI (ultra large-scale integration). Foran identical purpose, it is possible to use an FPGA (field programmablegate array) that is programmed after manufacture of the LSI, or areconfigurable logic device that allows for reconfiguration ofconnections inside the LSI or setup of circuitry blocks inside the LSI.Any database/recording medium/storage medium or the like referencedherein can be embodied as one or more of ROMs, RAMs, optical disks, harddisk drives, other solid-state memory, servers, cloud storage, used inisolation or in combination, and so on and so forth. Furthermore, partor all of the functions or operations of units, devices or parts or allof devices can be executed by software processing (e.g., coding,algorithms, etc.). The software is recorded in a non-transitorycomputer-readable recording medium, such as one or more ROMs, RAMs,optical disks, hard disk drives, solid-state memory, servers, cloudstorage, and so on and so forth, having stored thereon executableinstructions which can be executed to carry out the desired processingfunctions and/or circuit operations. For example, when the software isexecuted by a processor, the software causes the processor and/or aperipheral device to execute a specific function within the software.The system/method/device of the present disclosure may include (i) oneor more non-transitory computer-readable recording mediums that storethe software, (ii) one or more processors (e.g., for executing thesoftware or for providing other functionality), and (iii) a necessaryhardware device (e.g., a hardware interface).

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the disclosure and its practical application to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure invarious embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. Aspects of the disclosed embodiments may bemixed to arrive at further embodiments within the scope of theinvention.

While the invention has been described above in relation to its exampleembodiments, various modifications may be made thereto that still fallwithin the invention's scope. These and other modifications to theinvention will be recognizable upon review of the teachings herein.

Sample claims of various inventive aspects of the disclosed invention,not to be considered as exhaustive or limiting, all of which are fullydescribed so as to satisfy the written description, enablement, and bestmode requirement of the Patent Laws, are as follows below.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of generating electricity with an airmoving apparatus, the method comprising: providing a first frame of theair moving apparatus, wherein the first frame comprises top and bottomsides spaced apart by opposite vertical sides, a plurality of shaftsspaced apart from one another along and extending between the top andbottom sides of the first frame and parallel to the vertical sides ofthe first frame, each shaft configured to rotate about a respectiveshaft axis within the first frame, each respective shaft having aplurality of blades, the plurality of blades arranged and configured tointeract with moving air to cause rotational movement of the respectiveshaft, each of the shafts being operatively coupled to a generator so asto be arranged as a shaft/generator pair, each shaft/generator pairconfigured such that the generator converts rotational movement of theshaft about the shaft axis to electrical energy, the first frame furtherincluding electrical components configured to convert the electricalenergy generated by the generator of each shaft to an electrical poweroutput associated with each generator shaft pair, the electricalcomponents comprising a processor with memory; providing a second frameof the moving air turbine apparatus, wherein the second frame comprisestop and bottom sides spaced apart by opposite vertical sides, aplurality of shafts being spaced apart from one another along andextending between the top and bottom sides of the second frame andparallel to the vertical sides of the second frame, each shaft beingconfigured to rotate about a respective shaft axis within the secondframe, each respective shaft having a plurality of blades, the pluralityof blades arranged and configured to interact with moving air to causerotational movement of the respective shaft, each of the shafts beingoperatively coupled to a generator so as to be arranged as ashaft/generator pair, each shaft/generator pair configured such that thegenerator converts rotational movement of the shaft about the shaft axisto electrical energy, the second frame further including electricalcomponents configured to convert the electrical energy generated by thegenerator of each shaft to an electrical power output associated witheach generator shaft pair, the electrical components comprising aprocessor with memory; and operatively connecting a vertical side of thefirst frame to a vertical side of the second frame; enabling theprocessor and the memory associated with the first frame to: (i) managethe electrical power output associated with each generator shaft pair ofthe first frame; (ii) compare the electrical power output associatedwith one generator shaft pair with the electrical power output ofanother generator shaft pair in the first frame; and (iii) provideuniform electrical power output from each of the generator shaft pairsof the first frame to downstream elements; and enabling the processorand the memory associated with the second frame to: (i) manage theelectrical power output associated with each generator shaft pair of thesecond frame; (ii) compare the electrical power output associated withone generator shaft pair with the electrical power output of anothergenerator shaft pair in the second frame; and (iii) provide uniformelectrical power output from each of the generator shaft pairs of thesecond frame to downstream elements.
 2. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising coupling the uniform electrical output from each of thegenerator shaft pairs of the first frame with uniform electrical outputfrom each of the generator shaft pairs of the second frame.
 3. Themethod of claim 2 further comprising aligning the coupled electricaloutput from the first frame and the second frame with direct feedback toa local electrical grid.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step ofproviding a first frame with the plurality of blades on the shaftcomprises providing injection molded Savonious-type blades in a verticalstack.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the firstframe with the shaft and the plurality of blades includes providing theshaft with integrally formed Savonious-type blades in a vertical stackon the shaft.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing asecond frame with the plurality of blades on the shaft comprisesproviding injection molded Savonious-type blades in a vertical stack. 7.The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the second framewith the shaft and the plurality of blades includes providing the shaftwith integrally formed Savonious-type blades in a vertical stack on theshaft.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the firstframe with the shaft and plurality of blades includes arranging theshafts in a spaced apart side-by-side relationship so that the blades ofone shaft are configured with a cooperative airflow relationshiprelative to the blades of an immediately adjacent shaft.
 9. The methodof claim 1 wherein the step of providing the second frame with the shaftand plurality of blades includes arranging the shafts in a spaced apartside-by-side relationship so that the blades of one shaft are configuredwith a cooperative airflow relationship relative to the blades of animmediately adjacent shaft.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the stepof providing the electrical components associated with the first frameincludes providing a hardware interface adapted and configured tointerface with at least one of servers and cloud storage.
 11. The methodof claim 1 wherein the step of providing the electrical componentsassociated with the second frame includes providing a hardware interfaceadapted and configured to interface with at least one of servers andcloud storage.
 12. A method of generating electricity with an air movingapparatus, the method comprising: providing a first frame of the airmoving apparatus, wherein the first frame comprises first and secondopposite sides extending along a length of the frame, and first andsecond opposite sides extending along a width of the first frame, aplurality of shafts spaced apart from one another along and extendingalong the length of first frame and parallel to the width of the firstframe, each shaft configured to rotate about a respective shaft axiswithin the first frame, each respective shaft having a plurality ofblades, the plurality of blades arranged and configured to interact withmoving air to cause rotational movement of the respective shaft, each ofthe shafts being operatively coupled to a generator so as to be arrangedas a shaft/generator pair, each shaft/generator pair configured suchthat the generator converts rotational movement of the shaft about theshaft axis to electrical energy, the first frame further includingelectrical components configured to convert the electrical energygenerated by the generator of each shaft to an electrical power outputassociated with each generator shaft pair, the electrical componentscomprising a processor with memory; providing a second frame of themoving air turbine apparatus, wherein the second frame comprises firstand second opposite sides extending along a length of the second frame,and first and second opposite sides extending along a width of thesecond frame, a plurality of shafts spaced apart from one another alongand extending along the length of second frame and parallel to the widthof the second frame, each shaft being configured to rotate about arespective shaft axis within the second frame, each respective shafthaving a plurality of blades, the plurality of blades arranged andconfigured to interact with moving air to cause rotational movement ofthe respective shaft, each of the shafts being operatively coupled to agenerator so as to be arranged as a shaft/generator pair, eachshaft/generator pair configured such that the generator convertsrotational movement of the shaft about the shaft axis to electricalenergy, the second frame further including electrical componentsconfigured to convert the electrical energy generated by the generatorof each shaft to an electrical power output associated with eachgenerator shaft pair, the electrical components comprising a processorwith memory; and operatively connecting one of the first and secondwidth sides of the first frame to one of the first and second widthsides of the second frame; enabling the processor and the memoryassociated with the first frame to: (i) manage the electrical poweroutput associated with each generator shaft pair of the first frame;(ii) compare the electrical power output associated with one generatorshaft pair with the electrical power output of another generator shaftpair in the first frame; and (iii) provide uniform electrical poweroutput from each of the generator shaft pairs of the first frame todownstream elements; and enabling the processor and the memoryassociated with the second frame to: (i) manage the electrical poweroutput associated with each generator shaft pair of the second frame;(ii) compare the electrical power output associated with one generatorshaft pair with the electrical power output of another generator shaftpair in the second frame; and (iii) provide uniform electrical poweroutput from each of the generator shaft pairs of the second frame todownstream elements.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprisingcoupling the uniform electrical output from each of the generator shaftpairs of the first frame with uniform electrical output from each of thegenerator shaft pairs of the second frame.
 14. The method of claim 13further comprising aligning the coupled electrical output from the firstframe and the second frame with direct feedback to a local electricalgrid.
 15. The method of claim 12 further comprising: providing a thirdframe of the moving air turbine apparatus, wherein the third framecomprises first and second opposite sides extending along a length ofthe third frame, and first and second opposite sides extending along awidth of the third frame, a plurality of shafts spaced apart from oneanother along and extending along the length of third frame and parallelto the width of the third frame, each shaft being configured to rotateabout a respective shaft axis within the third frame, each respectiveshaft having a plurality of blades, the plurality of blades arranged andconfigured to interact with moving air to cause rotational movement ofthe respective shaft, each of the shafts being operatively coupled to agenerator so as to be arranged as a shaft/generator pair, eachshaft/generator pair configured such that the generator convertsrotational movement of the shaft about the shaft axis to electricalenergy, the third frame further including electrical componentsconfigured to convert the electrical energy generated by the generatorof each shaft to an electrical power output associated with eachgenerator shaft pair, the electrical components comprising a processorwith memory; and operatively connecting one of the first and secondwidth sides of the third frame to the other of the first and secondwidth sides of the second frame so the second frame is disposed betweenthe first frame and the third frame; and enabling the processor and thememory associated with the third frame to: (i) manage the electricalpower output associated with each generator shaft pair of the thirdframe; (ii) compare the electrical power output associated with onegenerator shaft pair with the electrical power output of anothergenerator shaft pair in the third frame; and (iii) provide uniformelectrical power output from each of the generator shaft pairs of thethird frame to downstream elements.
 16. The method of claim 15 furthercomprising coupling the uniform electrical output from each of thegenerator shaft pairs of the first frame with the uniform electricaloutput from each of the generator shaft pairs of the second frame andwith the uniform electrical output from each of the generator shaftpairs of the third frame.
 17. The method of claim 16 further comprisingaligning the coupled electrical output from the first frame, the secondframe, and the third frame with direct feedback to a local electricalgrid.
 18. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of providing theelectrical components associated with the first frame includes providinga hardware interface adapted and configured to interface with at leastone of servers and cloud storage.
 19. The method of claim 12 wherein thestep of providing the electrical components associated with the secondframe includes providing a hardware interface adapted and configured tointerface with at least one of servers and cloud storage.
 20. The methodof claim 15 wherein the step of providing the electrical componentsassociated with the third frame includes providing a hardware interfaceadapted and configured to interface with at least one of servers andcloud storage.
 21. The method of claim 15 wherein the step ofoperatively connecting one of the first and second width sides of thethird frame to the other of the first and second width sides of thesecond frame so the second frame is disposed between the first frame andthe third frame comprises aligning the length sides of the first, secondand third frames in parallel.